05/11/2020
Bieschke (Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens) spans more than five centuries in this expansive and inclusive work that records the rich history of protest U.S. After a brief introduction defining protest and its myriad forms, chapters chronologically feature demonstrations both storied and lesser-known, violent and peaceful, between 1492 and 2018. Nearly three-quarters of the book focuses on progressive protests (the Stonewall riots, the Ferguson uprising), while the remainder center on political or environmental movements. Straightforward storytelling highlights key people, slogans, strategies, and reasons for these movements, often emphasizing the role played by teens, such as that of climate activist Greta Thunberg. Spray-painted neon borders and numerous archival photographs grab the eye, and asides insert additional details: the origin of the peace symbol, for example. This roundup of rallies, parades, sit-ins, walkouts, boycotts, and more shows there are as many protest methods as there are reasons to protest. A concluding spread offers a 10-point blueprint for readers starting their own protest. Source notes, further reading, and an extensive index are included in this engaging compilation. Ages 13–up.(Aug.)
"This is a compilation of 34 instances when citizens of the U.S. exercised their right to protest, demonstrate, march, or create mayhem to express their views. Each act is covered in its own four-page chapter, usually evenly divided between text (accessible information set off by headers and subtitles) and illustrations (photos, archival documents, reproductions). The events are listed in chronological order, beginning with colonial times, events in the nineteenth century, the twentieth century (with special attention paid to the tumultuous 1960s: civil rights, the Vietnam War, Black Power, the Stonewall Riots, Occupation of Alcatraz, the Attica Prison uprising, flower power, and more), and on through the 2018 March for Our Lives. The introduction uses the 1968 student walkouts in Los Angeles as a model of civil disobedience, emphasizing how the teens' activism brought about changes (bilingual classes, a Chicano history curriculum). The back matter includes chapter notes, recommendations for further reading, and a few tips on how to plan a protest. This is helpful curriculum support and a how-to guide for young dissidents."—Booklist
★ 04/01/2020
Gr 9 Up—From slave rebellions and the Boston Tea Party, to the 2017 Women's March and the March for Our Lives following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Bieschke covers the history of major protests in the United States. In chronological order, each protest is allotted a four-page vignette of text, photographs, and relevant sidebars. While most protests are, almost by definition, anti-establishment or anti-government, the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally is included. Bieschke approaches this event as an exercise of First Amendment rights. Not all protests have sparked the desired changes in society or government. Not all have been peaceful, either, often involving violence both from protesters and/or from law and government officials. However, the text never loses sight of the fact that the right to assemble and protest is a basic American right. A short section of suggestions on how to start a protest completes the book. Source notes are included; the majority are websites, with a smattering of print sources. The online sources are from legitimate and respected news outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, BBC, and the Institute for Policy Studies. A good index is helpful; an annotated list of recommended reading features impressive choices. VERDICT Highly recommended for middle grade through high school collections in both school and public libraries.—Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
2020-02-09
A visual primer covering some key U.S. protests from 1492 to 2018.
An introduction offers readers definitions of what protest is and the many ways it can manifest. The protests covered center people of different races, classes, sexual orientations, and genders as well as including non–identity related protests, making this a thoroughly representative book. Important players, like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, activists for transgender rights in the Stonewall uprising, are highlighted, and continued injustice is acknowledged, including the modern-day prison industrial complex. Bieschke ends by offering suggestions for readers interested in starting their own protests. Despite these strengths, some of the language used to describe nonviolent protest (such as calling sit-in protesters “polite”) harkens to respectability politics. Applying the word “violent” to early Native American resistance while positioning European settler-colonists as having “used force”—not violence—to “evict” Native Americans feeds into common biases. Later, the same chapter claims slave owners were “often abusive,” although the institution of slavery was itself inherently abusive. As the book progresses, these problematic missteps appear less frequently. Overall, Bieschke does an admirable job of connecting protests to their historical moments. Ample use of photos, historical illustrations, and informative sidebars adds visual engagement.
Despite occasional stumbles, this is an engaging overview to inspire socially minded readers. (source notes, recommended reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)